


Play Practice

by Jonnorpost



Category: Jonnor - Fandom, The Fosters
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Boys Kissing, First Kiss, High School, M/M, Nervousness, play practice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-05 03:05:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4163265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jonnorpost/pseuds/Jonnorpost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jude lands the lead role in a school play, he's nervous about his first kiss being a stage kiss, but mostly, he's nervous about his first kiss being with a girl. When Connor offers to help, he has doubts, but agrees to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play Practice

**Author's Note:**

> 10th grade.  
> Jude is admittedly gay, but not out at school.   
> Connor is unidentified.  
> They're not dating.

Jude sat alone at his and Connor's usual lunch table while he flipped through his Theatre performance script. Connor was late, as he normally was since his teacher always let them out late. After a couple minutes, Connor joined him at the table. 

"Hey, you look nerv-" Connor started, before Jude practically fell across the table to share his news. 

"Guess what? Guess what? Connor guess what?"

"What-"

"Guess what!"

"What?" 

"I got the lead!" He announced. 

"That's awesome, Jude! I knew you'd blow them away with the audition." Connor beamed. 

Jude sat properly in his seat again, grinning wide and proudly. "I beat out some pretty tough competition too." 

"I'm sure you did. You were obviously better than all of the other people auditioning." Connor said. 

"I guess so!" His smile soon shrunk, the nervous look returning to his face. 

"What? What's wrong?" Connor asked, concerned.

"Well I'm thrilled with the role, but..." 

"But what?"

"I have to kiss the other lead. The love interest, so to speak." He told. 

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's just an acting role, it won't be that bad." Connor assured. He began eating his cafeteria lunch. 

"Well okay, but there's going to be an audience- a pretty large audience actually, and I've never kissed anyone." He stated. "And, of course the love interest is a girl." Jude added. 

"This is a huge opportunity, getting to play the lead in a big school production, and you should be really proud of yourself for that, so really, the kiss should be the least of your worries. Just work on lines, and all the other character prep. I mean there's a reason I never took theatre, so my advice is probably crap anyway, but as your best friend, I can tell you what I think you should do." Connor said.

"Oh I know, I totally get all that, it's just... Maybe it's dumb but I just don't want my first kiss to be a stage kiss with someone who I obviously don't like." Jude explained. 

"Well, would it help if-"

"Like I can pull off all the dialogue between her and I, and fake the romance stuff, but the kiss..." He shook his head. 

"So do you think it would help to run through the lines-"

"No, I'm okay with the lines. It's just the... Well her." Jude said. 

"No but would it be helpful to run the lines with a guy, and maybe practice the kiss scene, so your first isn't completely staged?" Connor asked. 

Jude scoffed, "Right, and where would I find someone willing to do that? That's not exactly something I could easily advertise..." Jude expressed. 

"I could do it." Connor offered, completely throwing Jude off guard. 

Jude managed an awkward laugh. "You're not serious... No, you'd be in the same position as me then. Well, no audience, but I mean you'd be kissing someone you obviously don't like, so-" 

Connor cut him off, "No it's okay Jude, I'd be happy to help." He smiled. 

Jude gave him a doubtful look. "I don't know Con, don't you think that'd just be awkward for both of us? Mainly you..."

"Nah, I've kissed people before, mind you it was never a guy but I'll gladly help you." Connor offered. "And at least your first kiss can be someone of the sex you're interested in." He added. 

Jude raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled to himself. "That was worded strangely. Just saying." 

"Oh! God, I'm sorry that just made it like ten times more awkward." Connor's face turned bright pink.

"Nah, you're okay, I get what you mean. I appreciate your offer, like a lot, but I'm gonna have to tell her I'm gay anyways. Maybe I should just get it over with, with her and deal with it? I just don't want our friendship to get weird, you know?"

"You don't have to tell anyone, Jude. And I just want to save you the initial awkward first kiss anxiety, having it be seen by probably a hundred people, and with a girl. If your first is me, it's platonic, that's all. No big deal."

For a moment, Jude doubted his intention. He wondered if there was a chance of Connor hinting to something more than a platonic kiss. Connor had always shown interest in girls, and dated girls, but often said or did things that had Jude questioning him. He wanted to ask, but figured it was just how Connor was. Jude always liked Connor, but he was scared that kissing him would cause issues in their friendship. The last thing he wanted was for them to become distant or awkward around each other. 

After discussing the idea for a while longer, they reached an agreement. 

-

*After school*

"Mom, I'm home. Connor's with me." Jude called out as they entered the house. 

"Kitchen." Stef replied. 

"Hey Connor." She greeted when they joined her. 

"Hi."

"Guess who got the lead of Jake in the play?" Jude said, pretending to be disappointed. 

"Oh honey, who got it?" She asked, sympathetically. 

"I did!" He exclaimed. 

"That's great, love!" She got up to hug and congratulate Jude. 

"Connor is gonna help me run lines." 

"Okay, have fun."   
-  
"Alright, so it's a romantic comedy play, my character is basically a hopeless romantic who does anything possible to get his crush to notice him, and at the end, she finally does, and he kisses her. It's over the top cheesy, so we can skip that." Jude explained briefly. 

"Sounds cool. We can start with the lines leading up to the kiss then." Connor decided. 

"Yeah, the lines aren't the issue. Let's skip the whole 'you're the love of my life.' Awkwardness." Jude said. 

"Can I see your script?" Connor extended his hand for Jude to pass him the rolled up booklet he was holding. 

"Here," he passed the script and laid down on his bed. 

Connor skimmed through the lines in the script, laughing at how cheesy everything was. Jude could tell the exact moment that Connor began reading the kiss scene. He began fidgeting and folding the script, wrinkling the corners of the page. He got really quiet, and his face was red. Connor was definitely just as nervous. 

"Alright, you're right, the whole thing is super cheesy, so if we skip it, we can go from this line here," Connor put his finger on a particular spot and kept it there to show Jude. 

Jude read the line and nodded. "Yeah that seems fine." Jude tried to hide the shakiness in his voice. In a matter of minutes, he will have shared a kiss - his first kiss, with his best friend.

"Okay, stand up." Connor directed. Jude's stomach twisted in knots as he stood up and took the script from Connor to read it over once more.

"Here," he passed the script back so Connor could read off of it. Jude took a deep breath and cleared his throat before starting. "You know, I've spent the past two years trying to get you to notice me, and I didn't quite expect it to end up this way." He recited the first line. 

Connor read his line in silence before saying it out loud. "Why wouldn't you just tell me before?" 

"Well I was scared you wouldn't like me." 

"I definitely like you, Jude." Jude suddenly forgot his next line. Connor wasn't supposed to say his name. "Um, Jake... Sorry." Connor corrected. 

Jude stood still, unable to process the next line. The line that lead to the kiss. 

"Would you like if..." Connor fed him the beginning of the line.

"I can't..." Jude muttered. 

Connor gave him a perplexed look, and then smiled softly. He flipped the script closed and tossed it on Jude's bed. Jude's heart quickened as Connor took one step closer, so there was hardly a gap between the two boys. And then he closed the gap, with his lips against Jude's. As soon as Connor felt the hesitation from Jude, he wrapped his arms around his waist and drew him in closer. 

Everything was off the script, and it was all wrong, but this felt more right than anything. Jude wasn't sure how many seconds had past, but he couldn't keep track. Even if he could, he wouldn't want to. He completely melted into the kiss and his arms came up to wrap around the back of Connor's neck. Jude never expected his first kiss to be this good, but he also never expected it to be Connor. By this point, Jude was convinced there was nothing platonic about it. There was no way it could be, when Connor's tongue had slipped into Jude's mouth. Although Jude had no experience with making out, or kissing in general, he copied Connor and mimicked scenes he'd seen in movies or TV shows. 

When they finally parted from each other, Jude looked into Connor's eyes, trying to read him, or catch a look that would give his thoughts away. 

"None of that was in the script." Jude whispered. 

"Because I think I've waited my whole life to do that." Connor replied. 

Jude was too in shock to say anything. He gaped, trying to force words out, but no words would form. 

"Now you've had your first kiss, for real." Connor said. 

"I-I didn't know you... I thought- I didn't think it would be like this." Jude stammered. 

"Is that good or bad?" Connor asked, suddenly looking concerned. 

"Good, of course, I just... You said it was just play practice. Platonic." 

"Okay well if I told you I wanted to make out with you, would you have?" Connor asked. 

 

"Well, I'd have thought you were joking, but I mean, yeah. Wow... I honestly can't believe you just did that." 

"I'm glad I could surprise you. You're cute when you're surprised." Connor smirked. Jude blushed even more than before. 

"You never told me you..." Jude trailed, unsure of what to say. 

"I didn't know how to." Connor admitted. 

"Well you found a way, that's for sure. And by the way, just so I get the actual practice I needed, I'm supposed to be the one who kisses you." And with that, Jude leaned in and kissed Connor and a smile formed between the kiss.


End file.
